What are your thoughts on a skid plate?
If you have one, what make/brand is it?
Did it fit with your stock/after market exhaust?
Are you a pavement princess rider only, or are you a bit of a rebel and take your bike on the dirt as well?

Location: I'm most alive when I'm in the north woods on my V2. So lets say Mountain Wi.

Posts: 82

I pun an enduro guardian plate on my V2 before he closed shop. Steel version, a bit heavy, and pricy at $250. Its paid for its self a few times in only a year. Ive hopped over a few big logs, couldnt have done in stock trim, and the cheaper aluminum units wouldnt have help much there.

Ive had a few large rocks ring it like a bell several times that sounded tearable, but no dammage to exhaust, oil filter or engine case.

In spite of riding on gravel roads ocasionally over 400,000 km/250,000 Mike's of riding Stroms I never had one and only once would it have mattered (I once got a dent on my oil filter.)

I did add a Givi guard maybe 100,000 km/60,000 km ago to my 2015 DL1000. I did this partially because of riding on unpaved roads more often and probably more because my wife got a Triumph Tiger that had one and I felt the need to keep up with her.

I don't go over stump's, etc but was happy having it recently riding at NEVA and driving on part of the Trans Labrador highway (until our trip suddenly ended.)

I use my -15 about 50% tarmac and 50% gravel/singletrack. Have a SW-Motech skid plate that looks ok but affects the ground clearance quite a bit.
It also amplifies engine noise a lot in spite of trying to dampen it with bitumen plate.
Does not really like the front mounting points attached to engine case, so I think I will replace it with something better for next season.
The plate was a perfect fit with standard headers, but when I changed to Delkevic exhaust I had to modify the rearmost bracket.

To me they're worth every penny. Many people get along fine without them just depends on what you want to do with them. I had an aluminum plate under there the first go round. I replaced it with a steel plate after the aluminum one just got too beat up to continue. The mounts had failed and the plate was being worn down on the back side and had been bent too many times. I was having to pull the plate and rear mount every oil change to hammer them back out straight with a mini sledge hammer after abit of that the mount ripped though the mounting holes.

I went with an Enduro Guardian Steel right before they shut their doors. great plate and has taken a beating.

To me they're worth every penny. Many people get along fine without them just depends on what you want to do with them. I had an aluminum plate under there the first go round. I replaced it with a steel plate after the aluminum one just got too beat up to continue. The mounts had failed and the plate was being worn down on the back side and had been bent too many times. I was having to pull the plate and rear mount every oil change to hammer them back out straight with a mini sledge hammer after abit of that the mount ripped though the mounting holes.

I went with an Enduro Guardian Steel right before they shut their doors. great plate and has taken a beating.

I put a Givi on my 2014 650. Itís light and thin aluminum but it keeps the oil filter and stock exhaust protected. It does not interfere with the center stand. Yes you have to remove it to change oil. I donít do too much off road so it does the job.

I put on the Givi fender before I road the MABDR and I'm glad I did. I heard rocks dinging off it probably 100 times and I high centered on rocks twice and a downed tree once. It definitely did its job. Another weestrom rider with me actually put 2 huge dents in his but no damage to the bike. Money well spent.

i use my bike 80 tar and 20 outback in different applications
i at first purchased the givi
when it arrived i promptly sent it back as it was nothing more then a beer can thickness
i then purchased a ravetech, its not the toughest plate but for how i ride it has saved me many times
you loose no ground clearance, and it does NOT mount to engine
if your planning heavy usage id recommend a steel plate like happy trails

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.